Friend
by JPHBK
Summary: Part 7 of my post "Justice League" (2017) series. Clark Kent checks on Victor Stone, believing him to be in trouble. A brief conversation urges Victor to reach out to his new friends.


Disclaimer: DC owns the characters within, not I.

Clark Kent walked up a flight of stairs and pushed open the doors at the top of them. He was immediately hit with the sounds of the city below as he walked out onto the roof of the Daily Planet. He shut roof access door behind him and walked across the rooftop until he reached the edge. He closed his eyes for a moment and listened. He heard the faint sound of someone crying out in what was either pain or frustration.

Clark glanced across the harbor to Metropolis. He listened and heard the cry once more. The voice he recognized and he took flight. Within seconds he was hovering outside of an apartment window in the heart of Gotham in full Superman gear. Clark scanned the apartment with his x-ray vision and saw Victor doubled over on the ground in the corner of the living room. Clark pulled the window open and quickly stepped inside.

"Victor?" Clark asked tentatively as he walked closer to Victor. Victor immediately straightened up upon hearing Clark's voice. Clark saw the reflection of Victor's infrared lights blinking on and off. "Are you okay?"

"Clark...?" Victor asked turning around to face Clark finally. Clark knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Upon contact, the blinking ceased and Victor's lights all glowed at their usual pattern and brightness.

"Hey... are you okay?" Clark asked scanning up and down Victor for any sign of injury.

"Clark..." Victor repeated before blinking his eye a few times.

"Are you in pain?" Clark inquired as Victor rose to his feet. The gesture prompted Clark to reach out to steady him.

"I'm fine," Victor responded before he took a few steps back.

"Are you sure?" Clark asked. "I heard you cry out..."

"From Metropolis?" Victor responded with a question of his own.

"Yes," Clark answered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you," Victor stated.

"It's fine, I just want to make sure you are okay," Clark replied.

"I... I was... I am," Victor said.

"What was happening?" Clark questioned.

"I was doing a scan," Victor answered before walking over to the kitchen counter and placing his hands on it.

"Of?" Clark continued his questioning.

"The mother box," Victor answered. Clark tensed up and walked to stand next to him.

"Is everything okay with it?" Clark asked.

"As of now, yes," Victor replied. "I will be candid with you Clark..."

"I'd like that," Clark reacted. Victor nodded.

"Bruce asked me to do regular scans on it... at first, it was quiet... I suspect I would get more troubling signals from scanning that microwave," Victor said pointing across the kitchen. Clark nodded. "The last few times though..."

"What is it?" Clark asked.

"Someone is actively searching for the box... someone with a connection to it," Victor replied. "I get these intermittent flashes when I'm scanning... it... frightens me if I'm being honest."

"Is it Steppenwolf?" Clark asked.

"No... it's... above him," Victor informed him.

"Above him?" Clark searched for clarification.

"More powerful," Victor clarified.

"Should we act?" Clark inquired.

"I don't think we can do anything," Victor stated. "The flashes, I have no way of knowing where they are coming from... although I suspect they are from very far away given their lack of regularity."

"Have you told Bruce?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Victor answered.

"Good," Clark said with a nod. These scans... they don't harm you physically?"

"No... physically I feel fine," Victor answered. "It's more mental."

"I see," Clark replied. Victor eyed him for a moment and then smiled.

"Thanks for having my back," Victor said.

"Of course," Clark replied offering him a smile in response. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Victor responded.

"The blowback from separating the boxes... it was pretty powerful... I actually felt them," Superman began. "You were able to withstand that, how?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Victor confessed. "I know that the mother box itself created me... I think that explains why it didn't destroy me."

"I see," Clark said. "You didn't know that you'd survive that though..."

"No," Victor replied. "Neither did you right?"

"No," Clark echoed. Victor let out a little chuckle. "Guess we both are a little crazy."

"Maybe," Clark agreed with a laugh of his own. "Listen, I know I need to thank you for bringing me back, without you I wouldn't be here."

"We all..." Victor began.

"I know..." Clark cut him off gently. "It was your link though that made it possible, and I just want you to know I appreciate it."

"Can I ask you something... and please be honest," Victor said pushing up off the counter behind him to stand fully. "If it had been one of us, like Diana for example... would you have agreed to bring her back?"

Clark considered the question. It was the first time he had been asked it, not even in his own thoughts had he considered it. He walked over to the window and glanced out of it as he collected his thoughts. After a few seconds, he turned around.

"I would have had reservations... after seeing what happened when Luthor used the ship," Clark answered honestly. "But, I think... maybe you guys could have convinced me."

"Really?" Victor asked.

"Yes," Clark answered. "If it needed to be done, I'd trust you guys."

"Thanks," Victor said with a genuine smile.

"Hopefully we'll never have to make that choice again," Clark said as he stepped away from the window and back over to the kitchen counter.

"Agreed," Victor said.

"Speaking of Diana..." Victor said as he brought up a projection between his outstretched palms. Clark moved to stand behind him so it would not be mirrored to him. He smiled as there was a message from Diana checking on Victor. It was simple and to the point, a friend checking in.

"She's good like that," Clark said with a smile. He watched as a response appeared underneath it reporting that all was well before Victor lowered his hands.

"Yeah, she is," Victor agreed. "I'm not gonna lie... I was feeling pretty um, lousy for lack of a better word before I met the team."

"Well hey, you know if you ever wanna talk or just hang out, I'm just across the bay," Clark said with a smile and point out the window.

"I know," Victor replied. "Thanks, I just kind of keep to myself here."

"Well if you feel like getting out, any of us would be happy to get a visit from a friend," Clark said, urging Victor to feel free to get out without getting too into his personal business.

"Guess... it's nice to have people that can understand me... wasn't sure that's something I'd ever have," Victor said.

"Well now you do," Clark said with a grin. Victor returned the grin and nodded.

"I do," Victor agreed.

"Listen, I did kind of leave work just now though, so I should probably head back," Clark said. "Perry is gonna fire me for sure... it's quite amazing he hasn't already."

"It's cool," Victor said with a small chuckle as he followed Clark over to the window. He stuck out a hand and Clark shook it.

"I'll catch you around, Victor," Clark said before he disappeared out the window. Victor watched him take to the skies until he was out of sight. He then turned around and opened his palms once more to see had a new message from Barry asking him "what's up". Victor smiled and considered Clark's words before he followed him out the window.

(****)

Barry Allen's eyes moved from monitor to monitor in front of him. He put his elbows up on the desk and leaned his chin forward onto his fists. It was some interference on the tv screen next to him that startled him. He glanced over to see text coming across the screen.

"Hey Barry, it's Victor." The text read. Barry glanced around and looked for some way to reply. New text appeared. "Just talk, I can hear you."

"Um... okay... hi Victor," Barry said looking all around the room. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I was just checking in."

"Oh, okay... well thanks," Barry said.

"You busy?"

"Not really, just..." Barry turned to see his character was now getting murdered in the game he had been playing. "Just, doing some calculations, superhero type calculations."

"You know I can see that monitor right?"

"Okay... so I'm a bit of a gamer," Barry confessed.

"It's cool, I play that too, well I used too."

"Really?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, I was quite good at it, maybe we could play a match sometime."

"That'd be great, sure," Barry said with a smile. "Anytime would be cool."

"Is now... is that a bad time?"

"No, you... we can connect, here let me invite you," Barry said as he turned to the computer.

"Actually."

There was a knock on the door outside. Barry's eyes shifted to it and he walked over to it pulling it open to see Victor standing outside. Barry beamed overjoyed with seeing his new friend.

"Wow... you got here that fast?" Barry asked.

"I was here the whole time," Victor answered.

"Oh right... yes, cause you can do that, the text thing from anywhere." Barry said with an "I get it" look on his face.

"Right," Victor said.

"Well come in," Barry said stepping aside and allowing Victor to enter. Barry shut the door and then walked over to the desk, he pulled out a chair for Victor and then plopped down in one of his own. He picked up two controllers and handed Victor one.

"I don't..." Victor started to say he didn't need it. Knowing he could interact with the game without it. He decided against it though, thinking maybe it'd be good to do it the old way again. Victor reached out and took the controller and pulled the hood back on his hoodie. He smiled at Barry.

"No powers right... cause I know you could probably manipulate it and... you could do that right?" Barry asked.

"I could," Victor answered. "No powers for you either, mash those buttons at normal speed please."

"You got it," Barry said with a laugh as he settled in and pressed a button to get the game going.

"And Barry..." Victor continued. Barry turned to him.

"Thanks for inviting me in," Victor said.

"Are you kidding... mi casa, su casa," Barry replied with a smile before both focused their attention on the game.


End file.
